Preparing Your Home for Winter
While temperatures have been cooling off recently, we still aren’t to the coldest part of the year. However, it will be upon us sooner than you might expect. And while temperatures in Southern California don’t get extremely cold, they do warrant turning on the heater to help keep your home comfortable. Any time you turn on your HVAC system, you have the opportunity to be more energy efficient. That’s why it’s important to prepare your home for the winter.
The best part about this? It will help you during the summer too.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
If you don’t have a programmable thermostat installed in your home, it’s worth the investment. The money you save on energy costs will quickly make up for the cost of the thermostat. Program it to only be on when you know you will be home. The rest of the time, let it turn off, or turn the temperature down. This is one of the best things you can do to save money.
Change Your Filter
When was the last time you changed your air filter? If you are like most people, you can’t remember. We recommend changing it every 30-60 days. A dirty air filter is the number one thing we find when we are called out to a home to fix their HVAC system. A dirty filter makes your system run much harder, which puts strain on it and can cause it to break. Air filters are inexpensive, so buy a few at a time and set a reminder to change it regularly.
Check the Temperature of Your Water Heater
Most water heaters are set at a temperature that is too hot. If you have never adjusted it, try turning it down and see if the water you have is still warm enough for you and lasts as long as you need. Our guess is the answer will be yes. Turning it down can save you a lot of money because you aren’t heating a bunch of water unnecessarily.
Get Your Home and HVAC System Tested
There are several tests we can perform that can tell you how much energy you are wasting. We can also offer different solutions to fix the problem, making your home more energy efficient and saving you money. The best part of this is there are several tax credits and rebates available that can significantly offset the cost of the work.
If you have questions about how to make your home more energy efficient and how to prepare your home for winter, please give us a call at 800-994-2577. We are happy to answer any questions you have!